Experiential marketing is a strategy where a company creates an immersive brand experience for its customers. It goes beyond traditional advertising and engages people on a deeper level: interactive events that involve as many of the five senses as possible, so the audience connects with the brand through a real emotional response instead of another ad impression.

Examples

A food brand could host a tasting event with live music at a great outdoor venue.

A gym could promote a one-week trial with free onsite yoga and pilates classes and access to personal trainers.

A tech company retreat could be the perfect opportunity to re-market the company to its own employees: experiences that bind the team to each other, to the brand, and to the mission.

Why is swag important to experiential marketing?

Promotional products play a specific role in these campaigns: they engage the sense of touch with an item that belongs to the attendee personally while the experience unfolds, and then they go home as a tangible reminder of the whole thing.

When you get a gift, it’s rare that you forget who gave it to you. And remembering who gave you what brings back the how, when, and why. Every example above lands harder and lasts longer with swag included.

Here are four keys to getting the swag side of an event right.

1. Maintain a hint of mystery

Hint at what’s coming (the event and the swag) without revealing everything. A little suspense gets people watching for the event instead of scrolling past the announcement.

2. Create exclusive products

Design promotional products specifically for the event. Limited-edition items and bespoke designs generate buzz precisely because attendees know they can’t get them anywhere else. They become conversation starters that keep working after the event ends.

3. Customize swag for your target audience

Select and customize the products around your audience’s interests, values, and needs. Consider their demographics and lifestyle, and pick items that fit how they actually live. A personalized touch makes the swag meaningful instead of generic.

4. Engage all five senses

Sensory experience is what makes memories stick. Think about what attendees hear and smell, not just what they see. People carry emotional memories of songs and scents for decades, and the right sensory triggers attach that memory to your brand.

Make the event unforgettable

Integrate promotional products into your experiential marketing and the experience keeps working long after the venue empties. If you’re planning the giveaway side of an event, we wrote a practical guide to running a successful swag giveaway, and we design and produce event merchandise every week, decorating in our own Lindon facility or through trusted partners. Tell us about your event and we’ll help you make it one people talk about.